Sodaro Off the Ballot

Oak Lawn Village Trustee candidate Dan Sodaro’s name was stricken from the April 5 ballot when neither he nor his attorney showed up an Oak Lawn Village Electoral Board hearing.

The village electoral board reconvened on Thursday to set a date for an evidentiary hearing. Earlier this week, a judge sent the objection filed against Sodaro’s nominating petitions back, telling the board it when it voted 2-1 to dismiss the challenge last month.

An attorney from the village’s legal counsel, Querry and Harrow, told the electoral board that he had received an e-mail from Sodaro’s attorney about 40 minutes before the hearing was to start saying she wouldn’t be there.

Sodaro’s nominating petitions were being challenged by Oak Lawn resident , who claimed the petitions showed a pattern of fraud. Sodaro is seeking to challenge longtime village trustee Bob Streit for Oak Lawn’s 3rd District seat on the village board.

“The board can enter a finding for their failure to appear on your objections in favor of your client,” Mayor Dave Heilmann said.

Skoundrianos’s attorney, Dennis Brennan, asked to enter into evidence 16 affidavits from people who said they signed Sodaro’s petitions for persons other than the circulators.

Brennan declared that the affidavits “proved up our case.” He also asked that the electoral board enter a finding that Sodaro’s petitions were insufficient in accordance with the Illinois election code, and that his client had proven all of the allegations in his objection.

“Pretty good for a lackey,” Skoundrianos said after the hearing. “I think it’s disappointing that they didn’t show up. If they’re so right, why didn’t they show up?”

Brennan said he didn’t know that Sodaro and his attorney weren’t coming until after the hearing started.

“I thought once the judge sent it back here there was no way they would testify that they circulated or didn’t circulate the petitions,” Brennan said.

Sodaro’s failure to appear effectively removes his name from the April 5 ballot. In a letter to supporters that he shared with Patch on Thursday evening, the embattled village board candidate said he would run as a “write-in” candidate in the upcoming election.

“As much as I hate to give up the fight being heard at the electoral board, which I am confident I would win, I cannot afford the electoral board battle,” Sodaro said.

Sodaro’s letter went on to say that he has run up a cost of $8,000 in legal bills, and that his attorney said it would cost at least another $8,000 to defend him against another appeal.

“My objector (Skoundrianos), and Bob’s attorney (Dennis Brennan) have already indicated they would appeal any victory I win and continue to play politics,” Sodaro’s statement said.

Sodaro also said his family and friends who remain staunch supporters have been under attack since the holiday season and that, “I value and respect my friends and family too much to allow them to continue being attacked …”

Chatting with reporters and chewing toothpicks after the hearing, Streit asked Sodaro to show the canceled checks to his attorney, alleging that Sodaro’s legal fees were being paid for as a political favor.

Sodaro is the current president of the Ridgeland District 122 school board.

Skoundrianos, a friend of Streit, said he was paying Brennan for his legal counsel although at “discounted rate.”

“I work at Walgreens,” Skoundrianos said, who wore his blue Walgreens work shirt to the hearing. “It’s a thousand dollars or less.”

Asked by a reporter if Streit was going to pay Skoundrianos’s attorney, both of whom are friends, Streit replied, “That’s still being determined.”